


The Sound of Her Voice

by annieofalderaan



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:01:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23598028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annieofalderaan/pseuds/annieofalderaan
Summary: Audlyn Kindy is a girl from the rural plains of Naboo who dreams of moving to Coruscant and singing at the Galaxies Opera House. She wants to make it as a singer more than anything...but will her dream come true?
Relationships: Luke Skywalker/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is mostly about an original character of mine. There are some canon characters in it, but they appear later on. So please stick with it if you think it sounds interesting. I do have ideas for a follow-up fic that will explore my OCs' relationships with more of the canon characters, so look out for that if you like what you're about read here!
> 
> Audlyn Kindy started out as a Star Wars OC of mine many years ago, but I never really did anything with her. LZ-4, meanwhile, was originally part of a fanfic I wrote as a joke that parodied the musical My Fair Lady, which is why she's sort of a...let's say unique take on a droid. But I liked her so much that I worked her into this story as Audlyn's droid.

_A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…  
  
_In a rural area in the plainlands of Naboo, the Kindy family lived in a tiny house located near a farm. The Kindys, a farm worker named Keith and his seamstress wife, Andra, were not very well-off and struggled to support their daughter, Audlyn, a girl of sixteen with brown hair and very big dreams. Audlyn expressed great talent for music. Each day, she sang around the house and while she ran errands, both on the farm and in the city. She dreamed of being a singer with the Galaxies Opera on Coruscant. But, for now, she had to help her parents at home. Singing with the opera would have to wait.  
  
One evening at the dinner table, Keith shared some exciting news.  
  
“I have a lead on a droid,” he said. The Kindys had been saving up to afford to purchase a droid for almost a year. A droid could really help them with housework and other chores and errands.  
  
“What sort of droid?” asked Andra.  
  
“Does it really matter?” Keith said. “A droid is a droid. And we’ll finally look like respectable people once we own one. Of course, it’s second-hand, but the people who own the droid don’t want it anymore. The owner I spoke with said he’ll give us a great bargain.”  
  
“Well, as long as we have someone to help out around the house…” Andra said, lifting her glass and taking a sip of her blue milk.  
  
Keith turned his attention to his daughter.   
  
“Audlyn,” he said. “I want you to come with me to meet the new droid. You really should have a chaperone when you go into the city. I don’t feel comfortable letting you go alone, especially in the current political climate…”  
  
“I understand,” Audlyn replied, although she was not too keen on the idea of a chaperone.  
  
The next day, Keith and Audlyn traveled across Naboo to meet with the owner of the droid. He was an older man, with a bit of gray in his hair. His name was Rexen, although Audlyn forgot his name almost immediately after he had said it.  
  
“She’s a funny droid,” said Rexen. “There’s something wrong with the way she speaks. I’ve tried to fix her wiring but there’s nothing I can do. I wonder if perhaps she was improperly programmed as some sort of...well, maybe a gag, I suppose.”  
  
“What do you mean, ‘improperly programmed?’” asked Keith, who was already getting heated. “I thought you said the droid was in good condition!”  
  
“Oh, she is. She just can’t speak properly. But for a hundred credits, she’s yours.”  
  
“Could you do fifty?” asked Keith, albeit hesitantly.  
  
As Keith and Rexen began to argue over the price, Audlyn noticed a droid sitting in the corner, who appeared to be powered down.  
  
“Excuse me,” Audlyn said, interrupting them. “Is this the droid?”  
  
“Yes, that’s her. Turn her on if you’d like,” replied Rexen.  
  
Audlyn pushed a button and the droid sat up straighter, her eyes beginning to glow a golden yellow. She was originally a silver color but had rusted over time. The droid was awake now.  
  
“Oh! Hello, miss,” she said, looking at Audlyn. “I am LZ-4.”   
  
LZ-4 did speak strangely; she had what Audlyn thought was a rather low-class accent. She didn’t quite pronounce the “H” in “hello.” But the Kindys needed a droid and Rexen was prepared to sell her cheap, so a deal was made for sixty credits and LZ-4 was buckled into Keith’s landspeeder.  
  
“Thanks for the droid, Rexen!” said Keith once they were all settled into the speeder. “Sixty credits; what a deal!”  
  
“Take good care of her, lassie,” Rexen said, stepping towards the speeder.  
  
“I will, sir,” Audlyn replied.  
  
“I was talking to the droid. So long, Elzee.”  
  
“Elzee?” repeated Audlyn. “Is that what you like to be called?”  
  
“Yes, it is. You can call me Elzee. Master Rexen always does. I think I will miss him.”  
  
“How many languages can you speak?” asked Keith.  
  
“I am fluent in four million forms of communication.”

“And do you speak all four million in _that_ accent?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well...we’ll have to learn to live with that,” he said and turned his attention back to driving.

When they returned home, Andra was excited to meet her family’s new droid.

“Oh, Ketih, she’s wonderful!” she said when she saw a protocol droid of her very own. “With a little polishing up, she’ll look just perfect!”  
  
“Hello, madam!” Elzee said happily. “I am LZ-4. How may I be of assistance?"  
  
“Before you assist anybody I think we’d better give you an oiling,” Keith suggested. “Audlyn? Take Elzee into the garage and oil her joints. She’s a bit squeaky.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audlyn and Elzee get acquainted, and Audlyn discusses her hopes and dreams.

“What’s it like being a droid?” asked Audlyn as she poured oil into Elzee’s joints.

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been anyone else,” replied Elzee. “What’s it like being a human?”

“Overrated. It seems like we’re constantly suffering. We never have enough money, we can just barely support ourselves. My father works on the farm that’s nearby but still has to maintain our house as well. That’s why we have you now, to help out with some of the work. Although I think that sounds more like slavery.”

“Thank you for the oiling, Miss Audlyn. Me joints feel much better already,” the silvery droid said in improper grammar and her unusual accent (or rather, an unusual accent for a droid). Her yellow eyes glowed. “What’ll my first task be, then?”

“I don’t know, it’s getting pretty late,” Audlyn said, looking out the window at the sun setting. “It’ll be dark soon. Maybe you can help Mother prepare dinner.”

*****

Elzee stood in the kitchen, observing Andra, who worked hard at making food for her family. Protocol droids were not usually expected to cook, but often served food after it had been prepared. Elzee would be no different. Andra handed her a platter with some deep-fried nuna legs on it, along with three glasses of blue milk.

“Put these on the table, please, Elzee,” instructed Andra.

Elzee did as she was told and then stood nearby, waiting for her next task.

“You may sit down now,” Andra said, stifling a chuckle.

“Thank you, Mistress Andra.” She sat down at the vacant chair at the table. “Do you need me for anything or should I power down for a while?”

“You can stay on if you’d like,” replied Andra. She turned her attention to her husband. “Keith, have you heard Audlyn sing that new piece she’s learned?”

“I have, she’s really shaping up to be a great singer,” he said, smiling proudly.

“Do you think I could study music with the opera company on Coruscant?” Audlyn asked excitedly.

Keith and Andra shared a concerned look.

“Well, dear,” Andra stammered. “We can’t really afford something like that just yet.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” she pleaded. “Once I start singing professionally, I’ll send you half the credits I receive each week.”

“But we don’t have the money to move out to Coruscant, Audlyn,” her father reminded her.

“Elzee can be my chaperone!”

“We haven’t even had Elzee for a whole day and you’re thinking of moving away with her?” he asked with a raise of his eyebrows.

“Well, you did say she should accompany me into Theed when I need to go there. Why is this any different?”

“Because it’s off-world,” he said, although he knew she had a point. “You are not leaving Naboo.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audlyn and Elzee travel to Theed, where things start looking up for the aspiring singer.

A few days later, Audlyn and Elzee prepared for their first trip together to Theed, Naboo’s capital city. There was a merchant there who sold special tools for maintaining the fields around the plains of the planet, which happened to be where the Kindy family lived.

“Why don’t they just sell the tools in the farmlands?” wondered Elzee as the two rode in their speeder.

“I’ve been wondering about that for years,” Audyln replied.

Finally, they got there, but Audlyn had some other business to take care of first.

“We’ll go to the market in a minute, Elzee,” she said. “But first, I want to see the opera company.”

“I thought you said the opera was on Coruscant.”

“That’s the main opera house. They have touring productions every so often, and this month, they’re here in Theed.”

There was a grand theatre located in the Palace Plaza, which sometimes was attended by royalty on special occasions. On this day, the opera company’s ships had landed outside and hundreds of costumes and props were being brought inside. Audlyn spotted a protocol droid, much like Elzee, standing nearby.

“Excuse me,” Audlyn asked the droid. “Are you with the opera company?”

“Yes, miss,” he replied. “My master is the conductor. I am here to translate for his distinguished guests.”

“Do you know if I could speak to him?”

“I’m not sure,” said the droid. “Who are you?”

“My name is Audlyn Kindy. I’m from the plains of Naboo. I want to be an opera singer,” she explained. “I know every piece from  _ The Smugglers of Kessel _ .”

She didn’t wait for a response and immediately opened her mouth and began to sing. The droid looked embarrassed and was just about to plead with her to stop when a tall, glamorous-looking woman took notice of her.

“And who might  _ you  _ be, young lady?” she asked, peering down at the girl.

“I’m Audlyn Kindy, and this is my droid, LZ-4. And aren’t you—?”

“Yes, I am Miria Akron,” she replied. Miria Akron was well-known in the opera world, and Audlyn had always longed to hear her sing in person. “Are you here to see the performance tonight?”

“I’m afraid I can’t,” Audlyn confessed. “I have to run some errands for my family in the plains, and I need to return home before it gets dark.”

“You have a voice like  _ that  _ and you live in the plains?” Miria asked. Her long blonde hair was piled on her head and gleamed in the sunlight. Audlyn had never seen anyone who looked that spectacular.

“I want to go to Coruscant to study with the opera company, but my parents don’t want me traveling off-world.”

“What a shame,” remarked Miria. “Perhaps you could bring them to see a performance while we’re here and that will change their minds.”

“I would be honored to,” Audlyn began, “but we simply can’t afford it.”

“That is a predicament, isn’t it?” Miria stopped and thought for a moment. “I would like to hear you sing some more. Do you have time to sing another piece for me?”

“Oh, of course,” replied Audlyn. She paused for a moment, unsure of what to sing. It was as though every note from  _ The Smugglers of Kessel  _ had disappeared from her brain , even though she sang pieces from it every single day, multiple times a day.

“How about Lady Gwen’s tragic piece?” the glamorous singer suggested.

Lady Gwen was one of the dignitaries who fell in love with a smuggler in the opera. Sadly, the smuggler died in the end, hence the “tragic piece.” Lady Gwen sang it to him as he lay dying from a blaster wound, right in his heart.

Audlyn started to sing the piece, trying to convey the proper emotion as she did so. She had never been in love with a smuggler—or anyone, really—so she had to imagine what it must feel like to watch the person you love die. She must have done it successfully, because Miria was very impressed.

“That was excellent, dear child,” she said, a smile forming on her face as she spoke. “I think, with the proper training, you could become a remarkable singer.”

“I can’t afford to pay a teacher to train me. I can’t even afford to support myself just yet.”

“Then, perhaps, I should take you on as my student,” said Miria.

“Do you mean it?” Audlyn asked, her eyes widening. “I don’t think I’m good enough to be your student…”

“I’ve always wanted to teach. Consider it a favor,” she said. “I’m sure someday you’ll be playing Lady Gwen yourself.”

“Oh, Miss Akron!”

“Please, call me Miria.”

“Oh,  _ Miria _ ! This is the luckiest, happiest day of my life!”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audlyn can't believe her luck. A famous singer has invited to take her on as her student. But will her parents agree to it?

Audlyn and Elzee had moved on to the market after their chance meeting with Miria, but the young singer couldn’t get the generous offer off of her mind.

“Do you really think Miria was right?” Audlyn asked her droid. “Do you think  _ I  _ could be Lady Gwen someday?”

“I’m not proficient in opera, Miss Audlyn, but if your performance for Miss Miria is any indication, I’d say yes, you could.”

“Oh, Elzee!” Audlyn threw her arms around the droid. “You’re the best droid a girl could have. I can’t wait to tell my parents!”

As they walked through the market, Audlyn spotted her childhood friend, Kirsa Bohem, who had also grown up in the plains of Naboo. They didn’t see each other often, but Audlyn always loved the time they spent together.

“Kirsa!” she cried, running toward her friend.

“Audlyn!” Kirsa exclaimed. “How have you been?”

“Great! In fact, I just met a famous opera singer—”

“Miria Akron? I know, she passed by here a while ago. I thought of you when I saw her, I know how much you love her singing.”

“She offered to be my vocal coach,” Audlyn blurted out.

Kirsa raised her eyebrows. “Wow, really? That’s amazing!” She paused, and pointed to Elzee. “Who’s the droid?”

“Oh! Kirsa Bohem, this is LZ-4, my family’s new protocol droid.”

“Hello, Miss Kirsa,” Elzee said happily.

“I have a droid, too—S2-RT, remember him? He’s around somewhere. I should probably go check on him and make sure he hasn’t gotten into too much trouble. He’s a bit prone to that sort of thing.”

Audlyn chuckled. “Sure, go ahead.” She quickly embraced Kirsa and said, “It was really nice to see you!”

“It was,” Kirsa smiled, before turning to look for her droid. “See you later!”

“She seems very nice,” remarked Elzee. “I would have liked to have met her droid, though.”

“Looking for a counterpart?”

“Perhaps. But I think I’d need new plating first.”

“Once I make it in this whole opera thing, and I get some money coming in, I’ll pay for new plating for you. What finish do you want? Are we sticking with silver? Maybe chrome?”

“I always thought the best-looking droids were golden.”

*****

When they returned home, Audlyn couldn’t contain her excitement. She sat her parents down, and gave them the big news.

“Miria Akron wants me for her student.”

“ _ Audlyn _ ,” Andra sighed. “What have I told you about making up stories?”

“It’s not a story, it’s true! Please, she’ll explain everything if we just take her up on her offer to visit the opera tonight.”

“But I’ve nothing to wear,” her mother protested. “And it’s on such short notice. I couldn’t possibly make a new dress in time for tonight.”

Audlyn turned to her father.

“Well…” Keith stammered. “Maybe we should go. It could be nice to experience the arts for a change.”

“Thank you, Father!” Audlyn cried, running to him and giving him a hug.

“Is all this true, Elzee?” asked Andra, her eyes narrowing as she stared into Elzee’s rusting face.

“Of course it is, Mistress Andra,” the droid replied. “I was there, I heard the whole thing.”

“I just hope you’re both telling me the truth,” she sighed. “I’d hate to go all the way to Theed only to be denied entry.”

*****

The Kindys dressed in their nicest clothes and prepared to travel to Theed. Elzee decided to stay behind, because she was in need of new plating and didn’t want to offend the upper-class opera-goers, or be any source of embarrassment to her masters.

Audlyn had her hair piled up and braided on top of her head. She only had one fancy dress, and that was what she wore; it was white with a red trim and almost reached the floor. 

“You look beautiful, Miss Audlyn!” Elzee said when she saw her.

“Thanks, Elzee.” Audlyn smiled at her droid, then turned to her parents who were preparing to start their small transport. “Are you ready?”

“Just about. Come on,” Keith said.

She waved goodbye to Elzee and walked onto the ship. As the ship lifted off from the ground, Audlyn looked out the window at all the green grass in the field below, and soon Elzee’s dulled silver figure grew smaller and smaller, before eventually disappearing.

Keith had learned to pilot a ship many years before, but it was not something he did very often, so the trip took longer than it probably should have to get from the farmlands to the capital city. Eventually, they reached Theed, and from the sky, the theatre where the opera was being held came into view.

“Isn’t it beautiful here?” mused Andra.

Audlyn said nothing and simply looked out the window in awe. Somehow it all looked different when she wasn’t looking at it from the ground.

*****

Miria Akron’s protocol droid met the Kindys once they got there. After a moment, he led them through the backstage area to a dressing room.

“They have arrived, Mistress Miria!” he called.

“Send them in,” said a pleasant voice. It was Miria.

The door opened and there was the opera star in all her glory. She would be performing in  _ Daughter of the Desert _ , playing the lead role of a scavenger woman in the Outer Rim; it was a tragic part, which was what she did best. Miria always said she gave her greatest performances accompanied by the sound of sobs in the theatre. Her golden blonde hair was pulled into a long braid; she was dressed in tattered clothes, and wore dramatic stage makeup to be seen from even the back of the theatre.

“You’ve made it!” she said with a smile. “How wonderful to see you.” She extended her hand to Keith and Andra. “I’m Miria Akron.”

“We know who you are,” Keith smiled. “Audlyn has been a fan of yours for years.”

“What he means to say is, we’re pleased to meet you,” said Andra. “I’m Andra Kindy and this is my husband, Keith.”

“Charmed,” replied Miria. “Did your daughter tell you I want to take her on as my protégé?”

“Oh, yes,” Andra said. “At first I didn’t believe her. At least, not until our droid said she heard the whole thing.”

“Where is your droid?”

“She’s at home,” Audlyn said. “She thought she would look out of place here. You saw her; she’s a bit…” Her voice trailed off as she thought of what to say. “...rusty.”

“Ah. Well, she could have stayed backstage with D-45.” Miria motioned towards her protocol droid, who still stood in the doorway. “You can bring her to your lessons when we begin. If it’s alright with your parents, of course.”

“We’re going to make a decision about that later. We want to see the show first,” Keith explained.

Miria smiled. “I do hope you enjoy it.”

D-45 took a step forward. “I will show you to your seats if you’re ready,” he said. 

They followed him through the theatre until they reached a box off to the right side of the stage. Just as they took their seats, the orchestra began to tune up, and the lights dimmed. After a few moments of waiting, finally, the curtain rose up and the show began.

Most of the opera took place on the desert planet of Tatooine. Miria played Lara, the daughter in a family of scavengers. Audlyn saw some of herself in that character, because like her, Lara’s family wasn’t exactly well-off and she hoped for something bigger and better. But Lara’s story ended tragically when she was murdered by pirates, who hijacked a ship she sought passage on near the Dune Sea.

And, as expected, when she sang through the scene in which Lara slowly died, begging for the chance to see her lover one final time, there was not a dry eye in the house. She was magnificent. The audience sprung to their feet as soon as the show was over, applauding for all of the actors and singers, but especially for Miria.

After the show, Audlyn couldn’t stop thinking about what she had just seen.

“I want to do what Miss Akron does,” she said. “And I want to do it for the rest of my life.”

“She was very good,” her mother remarked. “I think she’d be a great teacher. But there’s one thing I don’t like.”

“What’s that?” asked Audlyn.

“How much I’ll miss you while you’re away.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elzee takes on a job to support Audlyn and meets some familiar faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned earlier that Elzee was created as an homage to the character of Eliza Doolittle from Pygmalion/My Fair Lady. This is where her story starts to resemble Eliza's a bit.

With her parents’ consent, Audlyn, along with Elzee, eventually made the move to Coruscant to join the opera company. She started out in the chorus, which proved to be a challenge because she was not a skilled dancer. Through it all, Miria made sure to give her the best instructions on how to hone her craft as a singer.

Unfortunately, being a chorus member meant that Audlyn didn’t make a lot of money. So in order to help support her, Elzee took on odd jobs as a droid laborer. One of those jobs was as a flower-seller outside of the opera house, a practice that came to be because sometimes patrons liked to give flowers to the performers as they exited the theatre. It wasn’t a very glamorous job but she was able to make a few credits here and there, and that was better than having none at all.

Elzee stood outside with a basket of red flowers known as plom blooms on her arm, and tried to attract business. It wasn’t going well, and to make it worse, it had just rained, causing her joints to stiffen up. Suddenly, a man in what appeared to be some kind of uniform walked by her.

“Buy a plom bloom, would you, Captain?”

The man walked past Elzee without even looking at her.

Peeved, Elzee turned her attention to a woman in a blue gown. Just as she was about to ask her if she would like a flower, someone—or, perhaps, some _ thing _ , she wasn’t sure—crashed right into her. Elzee spun around on her heel, agitated at who she now knew was a protocol droid who had just collided with her.

“Come on, Threepio, look where you’re going!” she yelled.

“How did you know my name is Threepio?” asked the droid, concerned that she apparently knew who he was.

“Because you’re a 3PO unit, same as he’s an R2 unit,” she said, motioning towards the astromech droid that was rolling towards them.

“Listen to her, Artoo,” Threepio said quietly to his counterpart. “Listen to that accent, and look at the rusty plating. She couldn’t possibly be a protocol droid.”

“What’s wrong with me accent?” Elzee asked, growing angrier now. “And I’m only rusting because it had just been raining, in case you hadn’t noticed!”

“The way you speak, it’s so... _ common _ ,” he replied. “Do you really expect me to believe you are a protocol droid with a voice like that?”

“It’s not like anything can be done about it now,” she grumbled. “All I can do is sell flowers. I’m not really fit for anything else.”

“Can’t you be reprogrammed?” asked Threepio, his tone softening, shifting from condescending to concerned.

“Me first master...he tried that and I stayed the same. Reset the memory bank and everything. Nothing could be done so he gave me away for cheap.”

“What do you think, Artoo?” Threepio asked the smaller droid. “Do you think with some proper instruction we could present her to the Princess as a protocol droid?”

“The Princess?” Elzee repeated. She lowered her voice; she couldn’t be too careful, Imperial spies or sympathizers could be listening. “Do you mean Princess Leia? Are you with the Rebellion?”

Artoo beeped happily, as if to say yes.

“Oh, I’d love to meet the Princess.”

“Well, you aren’t meeting her like  _ that _ ,” Threepio scoffed. “Where is your master?”

“ _ Mistress _ ,” Elzee said, correcting him. “She’s inside, she’s an opera singer. Miss Audlyn—that’s me mistress—Miss Audlyn and I have always supported the efforts of the Rebellion.”

Suddenly, a man in a Rebel uniform came hurrying over to the droids.

“C-3PO! R2-D2!” he said. “I’ve been looking all over for you two.”

“Who’s he?” asked Elzee.

“Who is this?” the man asked at the same moment.

“I’m LZ-4, sir,” said Elzee. “Your droid here said he’d present me as a protocol droid to the Princess.”

“ _ Right _ ,” he replied. “Threepio, what is the meaning of this?”

“I’m sorry, Captain Antilles,” Threepio stammered nervously.

“Oh, so you’re a captain!” Elzee said, her tone of voice sounding almost amused by this. “Wait’ll I tell Miss Audlyn I met a real captain from the Rebellion!”

“Not so loud,” Captain Antilles said, nervously placing his hand over Elzee’s mouth.

“Hey!” she cried, her voice slightly muffled now. “Get your hand off of me! I’m a good droid, I am!”

“Quiet!” snapped Threepio. “If you keep this up, you won’t come with us, I won’t give you any instruction at all, and the Captain will throw you back into the gutter where you belong.”

“Who said anything about her coming with us?” Antilles asked, confused by his droid’s statement.

“Well, Captain, she was telling the truth; I may have suggested that, with proper instruction from someone as competent as myself, she could potentially be presented as a protocol droid to Princess Leia,” explained Threepio.

The captain sighed heavily and pressed a hand to his forehead. “I suppose that could be arranged. Do you really think you can do it?”

“Of course I do, sir.”

“Alright, fine. Get her on the ship.”

“Oh, but first, can’t I tell me mistress that I’m leaving?” Elzee pleaded.

“Very well. Make it quick, though,” Antilles instructed.

*****

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?” Audlyn asked when Elzee told her what was happening.

“This droid, C-3PO, he said he could teach me to talk more genteel. And he said that I could meet Princess Leia and join the Rebellion. Oh,  _ please _ , Miss Audlyn, you’ve got to let me go.”

“There’s not much for you to do here,” Audlyn said. “I guess you can go. Just keep in touch with me, send me holomessages whenever you can, okay?”

“Of course, Miss Audlyn.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audlyn's career seems to be advancing, but things are lonely for her without her droid at her side.

Months passed. Audlyn had limited contact with Elzee, which was upsetting, but she tried to take her mind off of it by singing as much as she could. In between shows, Miria coached her, and she was a tough coach. On one occasion, Audlyn passed out on the floor in the middle of a particularly draining lesson. Miria always said being an opera star wasn’t just about having a good singing voice.

“You also need to  _ feel  _ the words in your heart and soul!” she always said. “It’s equally as important as being a good singer.”

D-45, Miria’s droid, found Audlyn upset more than once. One evening, he came across her curled up on the floor of the chorus girls’ dressing room long after the show had ended. She was crying.

“Are you alright, Miss?” he asked quietly. “Is something the matter?”

“I don’t think I’m good enough,” she replied, tears falling from her brown eyes and streaming down her face. “Maybe I should have stayed on Naboo. I don’t think I’ll ever make it. And now my droid is gone, too. I just know she is. I haven’t heard from her in so long."

“Is there anything I could do to help?”

“Not unless you can find LZ-4 for me.”

“Shall I get Mistress Miria?” 

“No!” Audlyn shouted. Then, lowering her voice, she said, “That isn’t necessary.”

Miria was the last person she wanted to see at that moment. She was a good teacher, but very tough; not easy to work with at all. 

*****

Time went by, and eventually the next production was announced:  _ The Smugglers of Kessel _ . Miria, of course, was going to play Lady Gwen, a role she had played before, and to great reviews. New to the part was her understudy, who happened to be none other than Audlyn. 

But just as things were looking up for the opera company, a scandal emerged. It turned out that both Miria and a high-ranking member of the opera’s team of sponsors had been public with their criticisms of the Empire. It was enough for Emperor Palpatine to blacklist them. So now the opera had no star...or so they thought. Miria’s final request before departing the production was that Audlyn should take her place. 

“That blasted Emperor!” Miria grumbled as she packed up her dressing room. “We’d all be better off without him in charge.”

Audlyn knocked on the door.

“Miria?” she asked. “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course, Audlyn, dear,” Miria replied.

“Do you really think I’ll be good as Lady Gwen?”

“My child,” she said, crossing the room to meet Audlyn and taking the girl’s hands in hers. “If I didn’t have faith in you, I wouldn’t have selected you personally to be my understudy.”

Audlyn’s eyes widened. “You selected me?” she asked. “No one told me that.”

“Yes,” said Miria. “I saw your potential when I met you on Naboo and you sang Lady Gwen’s tragic piece for me. Remember when I said you would play Lady Gwen someday? I knew back then that, with the right training, you would be very good when you were ready. And now, I think you are indeed ready to perform in that role.”

“I don’t know what to say, other than to thank you,” Audlyn said, before her mentor pulled her into an embrace.

“Your time to shine has come. Besides, I’m probably a bit too old now to  _ realistically _ play Lady Gwen.”

Over the course of a few weeks, rehearsals were underway and Audlyn found herself having trouble performing in her dream role. She felt as though she was never up to her own standards. It didn’t help that she had limited contact with her parents and virtually no contact with Elzee, which sent her into bouts of depression.

Then, it was opening night, and it was as if all of her troubles had disappeared. She focused on her role, and the music she had to sing. When it came time for the famous “tragic piece” at the end of the opera, Audlyn even shed real tears.

After the performance, she sat in her dressing room, taking off her stage makeup. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she said.

The door opened and a man stood before her. He had dark hair, and was of about average height. He appeared to be a little bit older than Audlyn, maybe about 25 years old.

“Hello,” he said. He had a bunch of plom blooms in his hand. “You were wonderful. These are for you.”

“Thank you,” she replied, taking the flowers. “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“Oh, excuse me,” said the man. “How rude of me. My name is Alton Faytonni. I don’t usually come to the opera but my mother always told me how much she liked this one. I have very fond memories associated with it, you see.”

“How nice,” Audlyn said, looking down at the red flowers she now held in her hands. She then realized he was still standing in the doorway. “Would you like to come in?”

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Don’t worry, come on in. That’s an interesting name,” she said. “Faytonni, I mean. What planet are you from?”

“I’m from here; from Coruscant. But my father was originally from Corellia. He was called Dannl Faytonni. He’s a bit...notorious. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.”

“Wasn’t he a wanted man? How did he find the time to have a son?”

Alton chuckled. “My mother convinced him to settle down. She was actually an accomplice of his. I’m trying to correct the family legacy, I’m training to be a pilot.” He paused, then smiled. “You know, you were really terrific.”

“Thank you,” she said, smiling back at him.

“Would you want to go to a cantina? The Outlander Club is always good for a fun time.”

Before Audlyn could answer, her dressing room door flew open. It was Murph Tam, the director of this particular production, and sometimes a composer of original works.

“Audlyn, we have a crisis,” he said.

“I can sense when I need to go,” Alton commented. “It was nice to meet you. If you ever want to see me again, I usually hang around at the Outlander…”

Alton awkwardly shuffled out the door, and Murph slammed it shut.

“It’s  _ bad _ , Audlyn. The Emperor found out that I have been secretly working as a spy for the Rebellion and now he’s ordered us to shut down all productions at once. He thinks we’re  _ all  _ traitors, not just Miria and the sponsors.”

“What happens to the show?” Audlyn asked.

“There  _ is  _ no show.”

She felt her heart sink. First Miria was forced out, and now the whole opera was shutting down. And not only that, but her big break had come, and now it was gone in an instant, after just one performance.

“I guess now I have to go back to Naboo.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audlyn returns to Naboo, and eventually a special visitor arrives with some promising news.

Audlyn had been back on Naboo for half a year. She dedicated most of her time to learning how to sew and helping her mother with her work as a seamstress. They had lost all contact with Elzee; the last the Kindy family knew, she had joined the Rebellion with a droid named C-3PO.

Audlyn’s friend Kirsa had left Naboo during the time she was on Coruscant. She didn’t know exactly where she had gone, but there was talk around the plains that she had met one of the last remaining Jedi, and was training to become one herself. Without her, and without Elzee, Audlyn felt lonelier than she had ever felt before. Sometimes, in the early evening, she would sit outside of her family’s home and look at the sun as it set over the plains. Other times, she would play her hallikset, an instrument with seven strings, and accompany herself as she sang. Her favorite songs to sing, outside of her usual opera pieces, were old Naboo folk songs.

One night, as she sat strumming her hallikset, her mother, Andra, came outside with a glass of blue milk in her hand.

“I thought you might want this,” she said, handing her daughter the milk.

“Thanks, but I’m not thirsty.”

“Is something the matter? You haven’t seemed like yourself in a long time.”

“You mean other than the fact that I lost my job? The only job I’ve ever wanted?” Audlyn asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. “If you want the truth, I miss everyone from the opera. I miss Miria. I also really miss Elzee. I wish she’d come home.”

Andra placed a hand on Audlyn’s shoulder. “I know things are bad now, but this will pass. Things will change. I don’t know when, but you’ve got to have some faith in the galaxy.”

*****

_ Three years later… _

When Emperor Palpatine’s death was announced, the inhabitants of Naboo took to the streets to celebrate. The celebrations lasted for days. Audlyn went to the city for festivities in the afternoon, and when she returned to the Kindy home, a familiar face was there waiting for her: Murph Tam. He said he wanted to discuss something with her. How he found her, she didn’t know.

“We’re going to start new productions soon,” he explained over a meal with Audlyn and her parents. “I’m actually working on an opera of my own. That’s what I came here to talk to you about. Do you remember hearing about Queen Amidala?”

“Of course I do. I am from Naboo, you know. Whatever happened to her?”

“Well,” Murph began. “I did some digging in older texts and apparently it turned out she married a Jedi called Skywalker.”

“Skywalker? Any relation to  _ Luke  _ Skywalker? The hero of the Rebellion?”

“His father,” he explained. “Who, as I now know thanks to some old texts I was using for research, eventually became Darth Vader.”

Audlyn’s eyes widened. “Stories went around the galaxy of Vader being Luke Skywalker’s father, but I never thought to believe them.”

“Well, Audlyn, I’m here because I’ve written an opera about Amidala, and I want you to portray her in it.”

*****

Finally, Audlyn was back at the place she loved the most. When she stepped onto the stage at her first rehearsal, she got goosebumps all over her body. She held her data pad that contained the score to the opera, and concentrated on each word as she sang. After it was all over, she went backstage and wept tears of both relief and joy.

Rehearsals continued, and costume fittings took place. The costumes were made as accurately as possible, with Audlyn’s favorite being the first one she wore in the show: a red, black, and gold gown with a large headdress that looked like an outfit that the real Amidala had worn sometimes, usually when she sat on her throne on Naboo. She learned how to paint her face in the traditional makeup style once worn by the Queen; all white with hints of red on her cheeks and lips.

When it was almost time for opening night, Murph assembled the cast and made an important announcement.

“We are going to have some distinguished guests with us when we open,” he said, excited at the news. “Specifically, the descendents of the real Queen Amidala: Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa.”

The opera company gasped in unison.

“We have arranged for them to sit in the best box seat, and they have expressed interest in coming backstage to meet all of you after the performance.” He turned to the star of the show. “Audlyn, since you are our queen, I want you to be front and center at this meeting.”

“I’d be honored,” she said.

“Good.” Murph looked at the rest of the performers. “I have more news!” he added. “After we play our agreed engagement here on Coruscant, we will be touring across the Galaxy. Our first stop will be Queen Amidala’s home planet of Naboo.”

The company began to talk amongst themselves excitedly. Audlyn thought it was nice that she would be able to visit her parents at home, and that they would be able to see her perform. But even that couldn’t ease her nerves. She hadn’t performed in years. She wasn’t sure if she still had it in her to be the star of such an important production. Her talents would be tested on opening night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's opening night at the opera, featuring some distinguished guests.

Opening night arrived, and the opera house looked as glamorous as ever. Spectators lined up to catch a glimpse of prominent figures appearing, but the applause and cheers were at their most deafening when Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and their friends departed their ship and made their way inside.

Backstage, Audlyn was putting on her makeup and costume for the first scene. She often got jitters before going out to perform but her stage-fright was worse this time. 

_What if they don’t like me?_ she thought. _What if I’m just not good enough?_

But before she had time to dwell on it anymore, there was a knock at her door. It was the stage manager.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. I’m scared, if you want the truth,” Audlyn confessed. “But I think once I get out there, I’ll be fine.”

She smoothed out her red gown and took one final look at herself in the mirror. It was eerie seeing herself as a figure from her home planet’s history.

The orchestra finished tuning up and Audlyn made her way to her mark; she was the only person on stage in the first scene. The overture sounded beautiful as the orchestra played through it. The curtain opened, the lights came on, and she was met with applause. It wasn’t applause for her. She was simply standing there, doing nothing. It was because the audience was thrilled to see the arts returning to the galaxy. If only all performances could be met with such excitement and anticipation.

She made eye contact with the conductor, who raised his baton and the orchestra played the melody to the first aria. Audlyn opened her mouth to sing, and her voice came out as clear as a bell.

She sang her way through Amidala’s whole career, from her beginnings as the young queen of Naboo to her doomed romance with Anakin Skywalker and his eventual turn to the dark side. When her tragic death scene took place in the third act, Audlyn thought back to her one night as Lady Gwen, during which she had wept real tears. She did the same at this performance.

After the final scene, Audlyn quickly changed back into her red throne room costume for the curtain call, where she was met with a standing ovation. Then, it came time to meet the Skywalker twins.

The cast assembled backstage and Murph proudly introduced them to Luke, Leia, and their friends: Han Solo, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, and the droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO.

Audlyn remembered Elzee telling her in a holomessage, before they lost contact, about a droid called C-3PO. Could he be the same droid? She approached him nervously.

“Excuse me,” she said.

“Oh, hello,” the droid greeted her happily. “I am C-3PO, human-cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart, R2-D2. You were wonderful. Artoo says you really captured the spirit of Queen Amidala. How he knows that, though, I haven’t any idea…”

“Thank you,” she replied with a smile. “I actually have a question for you.”

“For me? Oh, my!”

“Yes. Do you remember a droid called LZ-4?”

“Of course I do! Elzee was a good friend.”

“What do you mean, ‘ _was_?’ Did something happen? Isn’t she still with you?”

“I am afraid I haven’t seen Elzee in a few years. I don’t know where she is. The last time I saw her, it was just before our ship was seized by the Empire...oh, dear...I wish I knew what happened to her.”

Audlyn lowered her head when she heard him say that. “She was my droid. I miss her so much. I know she went with you to learn how to be a proper protocol droid...how did she do?”

“You would have been very proud of her. She made wonderful progress.”

“That’s good,” she smiled. After a brief pause, she placed her hand on Threepio’s golden shoulder. “Thank you for taking her under your wing. I’m sure she appreciated it. And thank you for coming to the performance tonight.”

Before Threepio could say anything else, Murph directed Audlyn to the center of a receiving line that had formed. It was there that she met everyone, starting with Luke Skywalker.

“Thank you for coming to see us,” said Audlyn.

Luke looked at her for a moment, his blue eyes widening. “It was a great performance,” he said. “I’d never seen an opera before, and I don’t remember my mother at all, so it was a learning experience.”

She felt herself blushing. Audlyn had always admired Luke after hearing about his adventures fighting for the Rebellion, but she had never actually _seen_ him before. He was much more attractive than she had imagined. She could definitely see herself wanting to spend more time with him; there was an instant attraction there. But did he feel the same about her?

Audlyn put that out of her mind when she was introduced to Princess Leia Organa and her companion, Han Solo. What a good-looking couple they made! Audlyn had known more about Leia than she did her twin brother, so she took the opportunity to tell her how much she admired her for her bravery.

“I really looked up to you during the war,” she said to the princess when they were introduced. “To know that you weren’t just another princess sitting on her throne, waiting for it all to blow over, and you were out there on the front-lines fighting for what you believed in...it’s still inspiring to me.”

Leia smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “That means a lot. Really, it does. But I wasn’t just fighting for my own causes, I fought for the people who can’t fight, the people who I think deserve a better future.”

As the evening came to an end, Audlyn saw Leia and Han speaking with Lando Calrissian and a beautiful woman whom she did not recognize. Luke was off to the side of the room, not doing anything in particular, but looking her way.

“I feel sorry that you’re all alone,” she said as she approached him. “Is everything alright?”

“I was just thinking,” he told her. “About my father. I wonder what he’d have thought of all this.”

“I hope we handled his story with respect. The composer wanted to use honest sources.”

“I liked how the Force was touched upon. So many people now don’t even believe in it, or the stories of the Jedi.”

“The Force seems very mysterious,” said Audlyn.

“If you want,” Luke began, “I could explain some of it. But, you know, only if you’re up for it. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “That sounds like a good idea. If you don’t mind waiting, I’ll take off my makeup and costume and we can go somewhere to discuss it.”

Luke agreed, and Audlyn brought him backstage where he waited for her outside of her dressing room. She scrubbed off the white makeup she had painted on her face a few hours earlier, took her hair out of the braids that were hidden underneath her massive wigs during the show, and changed into her street clothes. 

“Wow,” Luke said when he saw her. “You look so different when you’re dressed as yourself.”

“A _good_ different, I hope.”

“Yeah...” he said, his voice trailing off. “So, the Force. It’s a—”

“You’re going to explain it to me right here in the hallway?”

He chuckled nervously. “Sorry. Is there somewhere you wanted to go?”

“I do have an idea,” she said. “Come on.”

Audlyn led Luke through the corridors backstage, until they reached a staircase.

“Down here,” she told him. They went down the stairs and found the pit where the orchestra sat during each performance. “I guess it looks different when the musicians are here. Before you tell me about the Force, why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

“Well,” he began. “I grew up on Tatooine with my Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. They had a moisture farm. And one day my uncle bought a couple of droids—Artoo and Threepio. You met them tonight. Anyway, Artoo had a message from Leia, who needed help from Ben Kenobi, so Ben and I met Han, who was...well, I guess you’ve heard this. Word travels fast around the galaxy. What about you?”

“I also grew up on a farm. Not a moisture farm, though; everyone who lived near us grew crops. My father still works on the farm and my mother is a seamstress. We had a droid, too; her name was Elzee. She left to join the Rebellion and nobody knows where she is. I miss her. So one day, Elzee and I saw Miria Akron, who was a famous opera singer, who thought I had potential, and she offered to become my teacher. That was a few years ago. And now...here I am!”

Luke and Audlyn talked about their lives; their upbringings, their relationships with their friends, and their hopes and dreams. They spoke for a long time before Luke realized he still hadn’t mentioned the Force. But, by that point, it was late, and the others were probably wondering where he was. Audlyn understood, and they walked to the front of the opera house and went outside, where all the transports had been parked.

“I had a nice time with you,” Audlyn said. “I’m sorry it’s over so soon.”

“Me too,” replied Luke.

A feeling that she had never known and couldn’t explain came over her, and before she knew it, both she and Luke were standing closer and closer to each other. He gently took her hand, and she quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek. She thought about apologizing profusely for what she’d just done, out of fear that he wasn’t as attracted to her as she was to him, but before she could, she felt Luke’s arms around her in a warm embrace.

He pulled away from her and they said their goodbyes. Audlyn stood, sighing to herself, and watched him as he left. Luke got into his X-wing and took off in it, disappearing into the stars.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Audlyn spends some more time with Luke Skywalker. She definitely has a crush on him, but will it work out?

For the next few weeks, as Audlyn finished each performance and left the opera house, Luke was there waiting for her. They often spoke over dinner, and enjoyed time together in Coruscant’s entertainment district. He told her legends of the Jedi that had been passed down to him by Ben Kenobi and Yoda, and she told him about discoveries she had made while researching and preparing to play his mother.

“It’s funny,” Luke said one night in a restaurant, after Audlyn had told him something about Padmé Amidala. “I really like you, but you’re up there every night pretending to be my mother for a few hours. I wonder what that says about me…”

She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Don’t read too far into it. It’s just the life of an opera singer. I’ve portrayed all sorts of people; mostly chorus members.” Then, she changed the subject. “I’m going to be leaving soon.”

“Where are you going?” asked Luke.

“Naboo. My home planet.”

“Oh,” he replied, lowering his head.

“Will you come with me?”

“Well…” he said, his voice trailing off. “I’m supposed to be training a new group of younglings soon. My first group, in fact. I can’t let them down now.”

“I wish we didn’t have to go our separate ways,” Audlyn said wistfully, reaching across the table and taking Luke’s hand. “I don’t want to be alone again.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on.”

Luke got up from the table and led Audlyn through the crowded restaurant until they reached the front door. They walked outside, and turned a corner, where they saw a ship. Audlyn didn’t know it, but it was the  _ Millennium Falcon _ . 

“She’s here!” Luke yelled, and the door opened. Then, down the ramp came the most striking droid Audlyn had ever seen.

“Miss Audlyn!” the droid said happily. It was Elzee! She’d had new silver plating installed, so she was very shiny. She looked absolutely wonderful.

“Elzee?!” Audlyn cried, running towards her droid friend and giving her a firm hug. “Oh, I’ve missed you! And look at you...you look brand new!”

“And listen to me,” she said. She no longer spoke with her original accent; now, she had a refined way of speaking.

“You even  _ sound  _ brand new! How did they straighten out your voice?”

“It’s a rather long story. Let’s just say that C-3PO was a great deal of help.”

“I thought no one knew what happened to you,” Audlyn said. Then, she turned to Luke. “How did you find her?”

“Some scavengers came across a bunch of discarded droids on their way to the scrap pile on an old star destroyer,” he explained. “They thought they could be of use to us, so they brought them to the old Rebellion base on Endor.”

“And when they activated me,” Elzee interjected, “I still had all of my old memories intact. It just so happened that Princess Leia knew Master Luke was often here with you, and that’s how we were able to find you."

Audlyn’s brown eyes began to well up with tears. “Oh, Luke,” she said happily. “Thank you for bringing her home. I can’t wait to go back to Naboo with her.”

“Back to Naboo?” repeated Elzee. “Forgive me for asking this, Miss Audlyn, but is your opera career over?”

“No, Elzee,” she said, stifling a chuckle. “The opera company is bringing this production on a tour of the galaxy. Naboo is the first stop, because I’m playing Padmé Amidala, and that’s the planet she was queen of.”

“Thank the Maker! I thought you and I would have to go back to the farm. However, if we’re going to be there, I’d very much like to visit your parents.”

“I think they’ll be happy to see you.”

Then, down the ramp of the  _ Falcon  _ came C-3PO.

“Elzee,” said Threepio. “I just wanted to tell you that I will miss you. Over time, I’d grown rather accustomed to you.”

“And I feel the same about you,” she replied. “You could be a bit mean at first, but when I saw past your haughty exterior, I realized what a kind droid you could be. You’ve been a very good friend to me.”

“Let’s not talk like we’ll never see each other again!” Audlyn laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “You’re all invited to come see me on Naboo, or wherever else the opera may take me. But until then, wherever you are, you’ll be with me.” She put her hand over her heart. “Here.”

Audlyn’s words resonated with everyone as they all stood under the stars and said their goodbyes. She didn’t know when they would meet again, but she hoped it was soon. But because of new friends like Luke, Elzee was by her side once again. She no longer felt so alone in the galaxy. And for that, she was grateful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the final chapter! I hope you enjoyed the fanfic! I haven't written any kinds of Star Wars stories in a while, so it was fun to get back into it. I have more ideas for fics featuring not only canon characters but also Audlyn and Elzee. Maybe I'll post them if I feel that there is enough interest.


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